Slider for slide fasteners



SePt- 24, 1940- G. sUNDBAcK SLIDER FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Filed July 19. 1959 INVENTOR.

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Patented Sept. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES SLIDER FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Gideon `Sundback, Meadville, Pa., assignor to Talon, Inc., Meadville, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 19, 1939, Serial No. 285,364

7 Claims.

'Ihls invention relates to slide fasteners and in particular to sliders therefor.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved slider for slide fasteners which is of the automatic, or self-locking type and which is positive in operation, convenient to operate and economical to manufacture because of its simplicity and ease of assemblage.

It is a further object of this invention to provide lo a slider which embodies such features of construction as materially to increase the convenience of assemblage of the component parts thereof; while substantially increasing the efliciency of operation thereof.

l5 It is a further object of this invention to provide a self-locking slider construction having great strength, durability and long life and which, at the same time, is compact and of pleasing appearance.

2d It is a further object of this invention to provide an automatic or self-locking slider construction wherein the biasing means, normally operative to lock the slider against sliding movement with respect to the slide fastener, comprises substantially flat, weak or soft spring means extending through the major part of the length of the slider or substantially coextensive with the length of the locking cap thereof and having an operative lever arm substantially equal to the length thereof.

It is a further object of this invention to provide, in such a slider, in association with such biasing means, plural lug means disposed on the front of the slider particularly adapted to support the biasing means in operative position and to guide the free end thereof against displacement.

It is a further object of this invention to provide, in such a slider construction, recess means in the front Wing of theslider body adapted to provide for partial recessing of the slider pull into the slider body.

It is a further object of this invention to provide, in such a slider construction, a slider body having lugs means on the front or forward wing thereof with a locking cap enclosingly associated therewith and biased toward locking position by a biasing spring means enclosed therein and providing resilient hinge connection between the locking cap and one of the lugs.

These and other objects and advantages of the 5o invention will appear from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which forms a part thereof, and will be pointed out 1n the appended claims.

In the drawing: n.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the lower portion of a slide fastener embodying my slider construction as a component part;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken substantially 5 on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view, in perspective, of the slider construction of Figs. 1, 2 and 3 with the locking cap removed;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of a modified 10 form of slider according to this invention; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawing in detail and with reference particularly to Fig. l wherein, for the 15 purpose of illustration only, I have shown the application of my improved slider to an otherwise conventional slide fastener of the regular or nonseparating type, the slide fastener stringers are generally designated I0 and are secured together 20 at their lower ends by suitable bottom stop means generally designated I I. The stringers I 0 each comprise a strip I2 of suitable material provided with a reinforced edge I4 to which are secured, in suitable relationship, the fastener members I5 25 which are adapted for interengagement in known manner to secure the adjacent reinforced edges of the stringers I0 together.

The engagement and disengagement of the fastener members I5 is accomplished by longitudinal 30 movement of the slider, generally designated I6, longitudinally with respect to the stringers IIJ. A manually engageable pull member, generally designated I1, is provided for this purpose.

The details of the slider I6 of Fig. 1 are shown 35 in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 wherein it will be seen that the body thereof is of solid, cast or molded construction. The body comprises the rear or back wing I8 which is secured in spaced relationship with respect to the forward or front wing 20 by means 40 of the web I9. The web I9 is of substantially triangular or V-shaped section and is disposed between the wings I8 and 20 at the top end of the slider. The inclined surfaces of the web I9 cooperate with the marginal flanges 22 on the wing I 8 45 and the marginal flanges 24 on the wing 20 to dene a substantially Y-shaped channel in the slider body between the wings I8 and 20 for accommodating the fastener members I5 and supporting reinforced edges I4 of the stringers Ill as 50 shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 6. Y

The front wing 20 is provided with a recess 25 extending longitudinally thereof from the lower end of the slider to a point adjacent the upper end thereof. Immediately adjacent this recess 25 at 55 the top end of the wing is an upstanding locking cap supporting lug 26 which will be hereinafter referred to as the top lug. The top lug 26 is provided at opposite sides with indentations 21 -formed therein in any suitable manner and 30 is free to move toward and from the bottom of the recess 25 but is guided against lateral displacement by the locking cap guiding bottom lug member 3| which is disposed adjacent the bottom end of the front wing 20, which is in alignment with the top lug 26, which extends outwardly from the bottom of the recess 25 in the front Wing 20 and which is hereinafter referred to as the bottom lug. This bottom lug 3| is provided with a longitudinal recess 32 of substantial depth in which the free end of the biasing spring member is disposed as shown in Fig. 4. The lower side surface of the bottom lug 3| is provided with a transverse notch 33 which is adapted to receive a complementary flange portion or projection provided on the locking cap in a manner, and for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

The locking cap, which is designated 35, Ais substantially rectangular, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and is provided with side anges 36 which are undercut upwardly to receive pivot projections |1a of the slider pull I1, as shown in Fig. 2. These pivot projections |1a are tapered, as shown in Fig. 3, and are movable longitudinally of the slider I6 `within the recess 25 and between the bottom of the recess and the inner edges of the side flanges 36 of the locking cap 35. Because of this arrangement, the slider pull I1, in flat position, is partially recessed in the body of the slider I6, as shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 2.

At its upper end, the locking cap is provided with a. top end flange 38 which cooperates with adjacent portions of the side flanges 36 to form a housing substantially enclosing the top lug 26 and attached end portion of the biasing spring member 30, as shown in Fig. 2. The 10W- er end portions of the side flanges 36 are enlarged and formed into locking pins 31 which are spaced from one another, longitudinally, a distance equal to the distance between adjacent interengaging fastener members. While the provision of two such locking pins 31 is preferred, nevertheless, one may be omitted without substantially impairing the eiciency of the locking action of the slider. The lower ends of these locking pins 31 are accommodated by suitably located apertures 29 projecting inwardly through the bottom wall of the recess 25 into the substantially Y-shaped channel formed between the wings I8 and 20 in the slider I6.

At its lower end, the locking cap 35 terminates in a flange 39 which has the extremity thereof turned inwardly to form a biasing spring engaging portion or projection which is engaged by the free, or unsupported, end of the biasing spring member 30, as shown in Fig. 2. Because of this engagement, the locking cap 35 is normally re- 75, siliently biased pivotally, in counter-clockwise direction, about the locking cap supporting top lug 26 in such manner that the inwardly projecting locking pins 31 thereof, which project through the apertures 29, are urged downwardly into the channel in the slider body for engagement with adjacent fastener members I5, as shown in Fig. 2.

When it is desired to free the slider I6 from locking engagement with the fastener member I5 on the stringers, it is merely necessary that the pull I1 be manually engaged and pulled outwardly in such a manner that the pivot projections I1a thereof engage adjacent portions of the side flanges 36 and cause the lower end of the locking cap 35 to be drawn outwardly, against the biasing action of the spring member 30 to withdraw the ends of the locking pins 31 from the channels in which the fastener members I5 are disposed. I

A modified form of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. In this form of the invention, the back wing I8 and web I9 are unmodified. The front wing 20 and its parts are substantially modified. The top lug 26a is unprovided with indentations, but is provided with a longitudinal bore 28a through which the upper end of the biasing spring member 30a is inserted and by means which it is attached to the top lug 26a of the body of the modified slider |6a.

The bottom lug 3|a is disposed with respect to the recess 25 in the same manner as is the bottom lug 3| of the form illustrated in Figs. l to 4. The bottom lug is provided with a notch 33a, similar to the notch 33, but the longitudinal recess 32 provided in the bottom lug 33 is omitted from the bottom lug 33a.

The locking cap 5a of this modified form is of lthe same general shape as the locking cap 35 and the side flanges 36a thereof and locking pin members 31a are similar and disposed in like manner. However, the top end flange 38a is thicker than the top end ange 38 and is provided with a bore 42a substantially in alignment with the bore 28a in which is diposed, and rigidly secured, one end extremity of the biasing spring member 30a.

Adjacent its lower end, the locking cap 35a is provided, on its inner surface, with a transverse notch in which the opposite end extremity of the spring is received and by means of which is formed a biasing spring engaging iiange member 4|a which performs the spring engaging function performed by the spring engaging portion 40 of the ange 39 in the form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4.

As is clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the biasing spring member 30a is progressively flattened and stepped in such manner that the free end extremity which engages the flange member lla is extremely thin and substantially flattened. It will be seen that the support of the opposite end of the biasing spring 30a in the aligned bores 28a and 42a. of the top lug member 26a and top end flange 38a respectively provides a resilient hinge connection between the locking cap 35a and the body of the slider |6a in which the biasing spring member 30a forms the resilient hinge member.

The biasing spring member 30a, in addition to performing the function of a resilient hinge member connecting the locking cap and the slider body, also normally urges the locking cap pivotally in counter-clockwise direction about the top lug 26a to urge the locking pin members 31a to locking position. In order to unlock the modified slider |6a, it is merely necessary manucap and secured thereto at opposite ends and an intermediate portion thereof being secured in the biasing spring supporting bore in said lug, whereby said biasing spring member forms a yielding hinge connection between said lug and said locking cap while resiliently urging said locking pin means toward locking position, and said locking cap being manually movable against the biasing force of said spring member for retracting said locking pin means from locking position.

7. A slider for slide fasteners of the class described comprising a slider body formed by spaced back and front wings connected at their upper ends and forming therebetween a fastener member receiving channel, said front wing having a recess therein extending from the lower end thereof to a point adjacent the upper end thereof', a locking cap guiding bottom lug extending outwardly from said recess adjacent the lower end of said wing and provided with a notch in its lower side surface said front wing having locking pin receiving aperture means extending between said recess and said channel, a locking cap supporting top lug extending outwardly from the upper end of said front wing adjacent said recess, said last named lug having a longitudinal bore therein, a locking cap having side flanges with locking pin means thereon movably received by said locking pin receiving aperture means, a

bottom end flange on said locking cap cooperating with said side flanges to enclose said locking cap guiding lug and having a flange portion engaging the notch in the lower side surface of said bottom lug and cooperating therewith to limit movement of the bottom end of the locking cap in opposite directions, a top end flange on said locking cap cooperating with said side flanges to enclose said locking cap supporting top lug, said top end flange having a biasing spring end receiving bore therein, notch means in said locking cap disposed transversely thereof adjacent the bottom end flange thereof and a biasing spring member extending through the longitudinal bore in said top lug, said spring member having one end rigidly secured in the bore in said top end flange and having its other end portion progressively stepped and flattened and having its extremity disposed in the transverse notch means in said locking cap, and a slider pull member having pivot end projections slidable in the recess in said front Wing and disposed between the bottom of said recess and the side anges of said locking cap, said pull member being partially recessed in said front wing when disposed flat in said recess, said biasing spring normally yieldably maintaining said locking cap in locking position and said pull member being manually engageable for moving said locking cap to unlocking position against the resilient force of said biasing spring member.

GIDEON SUNDBACK. 

